Taiwan News Quick Take

Agencies

ACADEMIA

Forum on China scheduled

The Taiwan Research Institute is scheduled to host a forum on Nov. 19 in which experts and academics will be invited to discuss China’s possible strategies toward Taiwan after the Chinese Communist Party holds its 18th National Congress. A major power shift is expected at the congress, which is set to start on Thursday next week in Beijing. The new team that will lead China for the next five years will address its new policy direction, which will be closely watched by the world, the institute said. The forum will center on topics including developments in cross-strait relations, China’s political and economic strategies toward Taiwan, the trends in competition and cooperation among industries on the two sides, as well as Taiwan’s responses to these issues, the institute said.

AVIATION

EVA expansion proceeds

EVA Airways will continue to expand its fleet with the aim of increasing the size of its fleet to more than 70 planes by 2016, the company said yesterday. The nation’s second-largest carrier said it took delivery the previous day of the first of 12 new Airbus A321-200s in Germany. All 12 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by 2014, the airline said. It said the A321-200 offers fuel-efficiency and low noise. Once the new planes go into service, they will first fly the Hong Kong and Macau routes and then the Southeast Asian, Northeast Asian and China routes, gradually replacing the MD90 craft currently used on these routes. The addition of the new plane increases the EVA fleet to 58 aircraft. EVA Air also signed an agreement with Boeing Co in May to purchase seven 777-300 passenger planes, with delivery scheduled to begin in 2014 and to be fully completed by 2016.